As part of the events marking Earth Week 2014, our Leadership Academy team — Marjorie Gray, Communications Consultant in the Center for Excellence; Dan Murphy, Grants Specialist in Resource Development; and Lea Wasson, Director of Student Housing — challenged EvCC students (and staff!) to see how they fared on the “Fantastic Plastic Challenge” quiz.

In a test of knowledge that was played like an Eco-Jeopardy game, our team coaxed students heading to their classes to see how much they really knew about the environmental, health- and energy-related impact of throwaway plastic water bottle usage. The goal was to educate the campus community about why plastic bottles are an eco-No No.

For example: Did you know it takes four hundred years for a plastic bottle to biodegrade? Or that there are multiple floating islands of plastic trash swirling around the Pacific Ocean that are larger than the state of Texas?

In the end, the winners are the folks who recognized that getting the water we drink from a fountain, a faucet or from a reusable bottle is WAY better than buying — and trashing — those throwaway plastic bottles.

Here are two video clips from the event to give you an idea of how the game is played. The video quality is, well, let’s say they are charmingly home-made by video novices. At least they give you an idea.